Climate change Mediterranean temperature has risen by more than one degree in 25 years
The average surface temperature of the Mediterranean Sea has risen by more than one degree Celsius in 25 years. In 2023, temperatures reached their highest level since measurements began.
07.11.2024, 14:28
SDA
The Italian research institutes ENEA and INGV carried out measurements in the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas between Genoa and Palermo.
In addition to the increase in the average surface temperature, the "thermal snapshot" of the Mediterranean, which was created using more than 3,000 probes, also shows an increase in the deeper layers of the sea. In addition, the analysis of the measurements testifies that the warming was above 0.4 degrees between 2013 and 2016, followed by a slight decrease and a stationary phase in the following years and a gradual rebound from 2021 to September 2023, when it reached its maximum.
"The series of temperature data along the same ocean track is crucial for climate studies as it allows us to assess the temporal evolution. This allows us to see whether there has been warming or cooling in the monitored area over time," explained the ENEA researchers in a press release.
The models would indicate a possible further rise in water temperatures, they added. Further measurements will be taken to determine whether the forecasts are accurate.
